I’m delighted to direct the spotlight today on to Envoy of Jerusalem by Helena P Schrader. Envoy of Jerusalem is the third in her exciting historical fiction series focusing on the life of crusader Balian d’Ibelin. You can find out more about Balian at http://defenderofjerusalem.com
If you want to start the series from the beginning, then look out for Books 1 & 2 – Knight of Jerusalem and Defender of Jerusalem (click on the titles to purchase from Amazon).
About Envoy of Jerusalem
Hollywood made him a blacksmith; Arab chronicles said he was “like a king.” He served a leper, but defied Richard the Lionheart. He fought Saladin to a standstill, yet retained his respect. Rather than dally with a princess, he married a dowager queen—and founded a dynasty. He was a warrior and a diplomat both: Balian d’Ibelin.
Balian has survived the devastating defeat of the Frankish army at the Battle of Hattin and walked away a free man after the surrender of Jerusalem, but he is baron of nothing in a kingdom that no longer exists. Haunted by the tens of thousands of Christians now enslaved by the Saracens, he is determined to regain what has been lost. The arrival of a vast crusading army under the soon-to-be-legendary Richard the Lionheart offers hope – but also conflict, as natives and crusaders clash and French and English quarrel.
| Format: | ebook | Publisher: | Wheatmark | Pages: | 514 |
| Publication: | 27th July 2016 | Genre: | Historical Fiction |
Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk ǀIndieBound ǀ Amazon.com ǀ Barnes & Noble
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme
Find Envoy of Jerusalem on Goodreads
About the Author
Helena was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the daughter of a professor, and travelled abroad for the first time at the age of two, when her father went to teach at the University of Wasada in Tokyo, Japan. Later the family lived in Brazil, England and Kentucky, but home was always the coast of Maine. There, her father’s family had roots, and an old, white clapboard house perched above the boatyard in East Blue Hill.
It was the frequent travel and exposure to different cultures, peoples and heritage that inspired Helena to start writing creatively and to focus on historical fiction. She wrote her first novel in second grade, but later made a conscious decision not try to earn a living from writing. She never wanted to be forced to write what was popular, rather than what was in her heart.
Helena earned a PhD in History from the University of Hamburg with a ground-breaking biography of a leader of the German Resistance to Hitler. She worked in the private sector as a research analyst, and an investor relations manager in both the U.S. and Germany. She is now a diplomat serving in Africa.
Helena has published historical novels set in World War Two, Ancient Sparta and the Crusades. Her latest project, a biographical novel of Balian d’Ibelin in three parts, got off to a great start when Knight of Jerusalem earned a B.R.A.G. Medallion, and was selected as a Finalist for the 2014 Chaucer Award for Historical Fiction. The second book in the series did even better: Defender of Jerusalem took the “Silver” for spiritual/religious fiction in the 2015 Feathered Quill Awards, won the Chaucer Award for Medieval Historical Fiction and is a B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree.
Connect with Helena
Website ǀ Facebook ǀ Twitter ǀ Goodreads ǀ BookBuzz
About the Book
About the Author
What Cathy Read Next... 